


Cats & Dogs

by satanic_panic



Category: Hellboy (2019), Hellboy (Comics), Hellboy - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Past Child Abuse, Werejaguars, werewolf reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:26:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23302369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satanic_panic/pseuds/satanic_panic
Summary: Ben's sent out to work a seemingly simple case, but nothing's ever as easy as it sounds, is it?
Relationships: Ben Daimio/You
Kudos: 15





	Cats & Dogs

“Why can’t Hellboy do it?” Ben asked as he held the mission brief in his hands, frowning at it and doing his best not to shake his head; he was to go to a city he had never been before, and investigate the presence of a werewolf that had been causing some trouble. Oddly enough, though, it was nothing too bad - there were no bodies, no casualties, just a few broken fences and some things going missing, but nevertheless, it was on the BPRD’s radar. 

“He’s indisposed of at the moment,” the agent replied, “we need you for this, Daimio.” 

Sighing, Ben nodded, running a hand through his hair. “Fine… is this all the information we have?”

The agent nodded, pushing their glasses up slightly and clearing their throat. “At the moment, yes. We don’t know yet if the target is hostile, so we’ve arranged some equipment to be stored at the safe-house we’ve had set up for you.” 

Ben frowned, knowing that a safe-house meant that he would be on the case for a few days or more. “Thank you.” 

“And, Daimio?” The agent stopped him in his tracks. “Be careful out there.” 

Ben nodded curtly before finally walking down the hall towards where his transport was waiting, and when he met with the driver, he shook her hand and asked if she knew anything about the location. 

“It’s a nice little place,” she said as she got in the car, waiting for Ben to get in before she started driving. “I heard there’s a family of werewolves out there, though, but they don’t usually cause much trouble.” 

Furrowing his brows, Ben looked up from the brief in his lap. “What do you mean?” 

“From what I know of it, there’s apparently only three of them, and they’re supposedly pretty peaceful,” she explained, “no one’s had any trouble with them, up until now.” 

Humming lowly and with slight curiosity, Ben licked his lips and looked back at the brief. “Have you ever met anyone called Amy Dunks whilst over there?” 

The driver shook her head. “Not that I can recall… is she your contact?”

“Apparently so,” he replied, “apparently she’s the one that called it in, too.” 

* * *

After arriving at the safe-house without a hitch, Ben took a moment to familiarise himself; it was a simple house, three bedrooms with a bathroom, a living room, a kitchen with an expansion in the form of a conservatory. He stated work the second all of his clothes were put inside a wardrobe, making sure that guns had ammunition and were loaded, that knives were sharp, that he had suppressants if he needed them; however, he was shocked when the doorbell rang, and he was cautious as he answered it. 

“Ben Daimio?” The woman on the other side of the door looked a little nervous, as if she wasn’t entirely sure if she was at the right house, her hair was blonde and curly, and the piercings in her nose, mouth, and ears glittered. “I’m Amy Dunks, I was told to-”

“Come in,” he stepped aside, letting her in and gesturing for her to take a seat at the breakfast bar. “Tea? Coffee?”

“Tea, please,” she seemed more relaxed now that she was inside, but Ben was still cautious and careful as he put the kettle on and turned to her. “No sugar or milk, by the way.” 

He nodded, leaning on the other side of the breakfast bar. “I’ve heard you have a problem with stray dogs.” 

Amy chuckled, shrugging. “We aren’t really sure what’s going on, Agent Daimio, I mean, usually when there’s a problem like this, it’s a bloody mess.” 

“And what makes you so sure this one won’t be?” He asked, grabbing the notebook and pen from his back pocket and writing down whatever was needed. 

“We’re not,” she admitted. “But I think I know who it is.” 

Raising a brow, Ben looked up at her, scratching the side of his face gently. “The family?”

“Yes, but also no,” she sighed, biting her lip and shaking her head. “One of them… the youngest, is my friend. For a while now, my friend’s had trouble controlling it - shifting, I mean, and… well, losing control isn’t something I’d be shocked if it happened, if you catch my drift?”

Ben knew that story all too well, and he did have to admit, something in him wanted to feel sorry for the werewolf. “I see… and this friend of yours, where might I be able to find them?”

“The woods,” Amy said. “They spend a lot of time there, especially by the river - but please, Agent Daimio, please don’t hurt them. They don’t mean to do anything wrong, they just… they need help.” 

“I promise, I won’t hurt your friend,” he replied, “and I will do everything I can to help.” 

Reaching forward, Amy grabbed his hands, her eyes filled with worry and concern as she smiled sadly. “Thank you… really, thank you.” 

* * *

Not wanting to break his promise, Ben left most of his weaponry at the safe-house when he headed down to the woods; it was light, the afternoon sun was relentlessly shining but the wind still blew cold, and the further he went into the woods, the colder it became. Following what Amy had told him, Ben headed down to the murky river, looking around and examining the muddy ground for prints. 

But he could feel something watching him, he could feel every single one of his movements being observed as he laid his jacket on the riverbank and sat down on it before clearing his throat. 

“I’m not here to hurt you. Your friend Amy sent me.” 

Twigs snapped, and birds flew off with loud warning calls, the bushes whispered as they caved and gave way to you; dressed in jeans that had spots of blood on the blue denim, wrecked dark red trainers, a grey and purple plaid shirt, black fingerless gloves, and a black and white cap, you were cautious as you crept forward, stopping by a tree a few metres away from him. 

“Amy sent you?” You asked, tilting your head to the side and looking him up and down. 

Ben nodded, putting his hands up to show that he was no threat. “Amy sent me. She asked me to help you - I promised I wouldn’t hurt you.” 

Carefully, you drew closer, sitting on the bank beside him at last, although you still kept some distance. “Silver bullet to the head does it just fine, y’know.” 

“I’m not here to kill you,” Ben reiterated. “Amy said that you had been having a hard time controlling your shifting… is that right?”

You scoffed, pulling out a packet of tobacco, a small box of filters, and a packet of rolling papers. “Mind if I smoke?”

“Go ahead,” he shrugged, watching as you rolled yourself a cigarette before lighting it. 

Taking a drag, you looked out at the river, sighing heavily. “You smell like a copper.” 

“I’m not,” Ben assured, shaking his head. “I’m part of an organisation that helps people like you.” 

You scoffed, flashing the fangs that never quite went away. “I know who you are - you work with Hellboy.” 

He frowned, looking down at the ground for a moment. “From time to time.” 

You dared to look over, raising a brow and flicking cigarette ash on the floor. “Why should I trust you?”

Ben never liked telling people about his secret, he liked to keep it in the dark as much as he could, but in that moment, he knew that it was just about the only thing he could say to gain your trust, it was the only thing he could do to help. “Because I’m like you… with the exception of being a big cat, instead of a dog - but, for the record, I’m more of a dog person, anyways.” 

You chuckled, licking your lips. “A werejaguar, huh?” You took another whiff, trying to find the buried scent, and when you did, you smiled. “I don’t think I’ve met a werejaguar before.” 

“And I’ve never met a werewolf I could have a civil conversation with,” Ben joked, extending his hand. “Ben Daimio.” 

Shaking it, you moved a little closer. “(Y/N) (Y/L/N)... you know, cats and dogs are supposed to be enemies.” 

He bit the inside of his lip, shrugging. “I suppose there’s always an exception, though, isn’t there?”

“I guess,” you nodded, taking the few final drags of your cigarette before tossing it away. “To answer your earlier questions, though… what Amy told you was right. I don’t know why, but it’s been getting harder to control lately, and I don’t mean to cause any harm, I really don’t.” 

Frowning, Ben could hear the pleading sincerity in your voice, and he couldn’t deny that he knew exactly how it felt. “I think I might be able to help you out with that - it took me a while to control it, too.” 

“It hurts,” you whispered, a sudden feeling of shame washing over you. “When I shift, I mean, it hurts… but everyone else seems to be able to do it like it’s just… putting on another shirt.” 

“It hurts me, too,” he admitted. “But, I have to ask, what about your family?”

You sighed, letting out a small growl. “We’re not on the best of terms, right now.” 

Ben kept a careful eye on you as he furrowed his brows. “Can I ask why?”

“Because I refuse to be like them,” you explained, “I don’t hunt, I don’t eat meat… I just disappoint them.” 

“A vegetarian werewolf,” Ben hummed with slight surprise. “That’s something I’ve yet to hear of, but… I respect it.”

Standing up again, you shook your head, starting to pace. “I don’t want to hurt anybody, or anything, but I’m not sure if I can guarantee that if I can’t control it.” 

“Going by what you’ve just told me,” Ben started, standing before you and gripping your arms gently, “and how you speak, I’d say that it’s a safe bet that you’re not going to hurt anybody - you’re having control issues, and I will help you with that.” 

You whined softly, looking up into his eyes like a saddened puppy. “What if you can’t?”

“Hopefully we won’t find out,” he replied, “now, how about we go to your house, and see if we can’t work something out?”

You nodded, smiling a little. “That’d be grand… thank you.” 

* * *

The second Ben walked in through the door at your house, he was greeted by two large hound dogs - one various shades of brown, and one black - who wagged their tails and sniffed him as he bent down to pat them. 

“Don’t worry, they don’t bite,” you called from the kitchen. 

“I’m not worried about them biting,” Ben admitted as he caught up with you. “I’m worried about big dog.” 

You rolled your eyes, playfully baring your teeth. “I only bite when I’m asked nicely.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he chuckled, watching as you opened the back door that lead out into the garden, the two dogs bolting outside as if their lives depended on it. “It’s a nice house you have here, (y/n).” 

“It belongs to my family,” you grumbled, scoffing. “Can’t get away from ‘em.” 

Ben wanted to say something, but decided against it as he took a look around; the kitchen was spacious enough, but the claw marks on one of the walls suggested a particularly harsh and painful shift. “The wall - was that you?”

You sighed, looking down at the ground and nodding. “That was me.” 

Suddenly, though, you perked up, and raced to the door, yelping excitedly and ushering in none other than Amy, who seemed cautious and concerned as she stepped inside. 

“Agent Daimio,” she greeted with a nod. 

“Uh, his name is Ben,” you pointed out. “Not Agent.” 

“Miss Dunks,” Ben greeted. 

Amy turned to you, then, smiling sadly. “How are you, pup?” 

You furrowed your brows, tilting your head to the side and scratching at your ear. “I’m fine… I told Ben the truth.” 

She seemed relieved to hear that, the caution and concern dropping from her demeanor. “Thank fuck for that.” 

You grinned, fangs bared but even Ben could tell that if you had shifted, your tail would have wagged, but when you met his gaze, you drooped slightly, hunching your shoulders and clamping your mouth shut. “Sorry… I can’t help it.” 

“No, no, don’t apologise,” Ben jumped in, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean to make it seem like I was staring.” 

You perked up a little bit, then, turning to Amy and grinning once more, smelling her the way that the dogs had sniffed Ben when he walked in, and you gave her a knowing look. 

“You’ve been over Karl’s.” 

“Bad dog!” She playfully scolded. “How many times do I have to tell you not to sniff me?” 

You shrugged, leaning back and tilting your head. “It’s a force of habit.” 

“Yeah, well, thankfully we have a trainer now,” she joked, nodding over at Ben. 

“I don’t have much experience with big dogs,” he admitted. “But I think I can make it work.” 

You chuckled, baring those fangs at him again, but he wasn’t intimidated, he was actually quite relieved, especially when you let out a sneeze that had you shaking your head. “I’m sure you have the cat in the bag.” 

Doing his best not to glare at you for the pun, Ben turned to Amy, smiling a little. “So, to what do we owe the pleasure?” 

“Nothing much,” she admitted with a shrug. “I was on my way home from Karl’s, so I figured I’d swing by - (y/n) gave me a spare key a long time ago, so sometimes I just come over to let the dogs out.” She paused, looking between you and Ben for a spare moment. “But seeing as how you’re here, I think I should probably go home… but, thank you, again, Agent Daimio.” 

“His name isn’t Agent!” You howled at Amy as she walked away, laughing when she threw up her middle finger and shook her head. 

When the front door closed again, Ben turned to you and raised a brow. “I think it’s best we talk business for a moment.” 

You frowned, slouching again. “Yeah, I guess so… what do you wanna know?” 

“When was your last shift?” He asked, already looking up the lunar cycle on his phone to make sure. 

“Whenever the last full moon was,” you told him, furrowing your brows and whining softly when you saw how he seemed upset by something. “Are you okay? Do you need me to leave the room so you can make a phone call?” 

Ben shook his head, sighing and looking you dead in the eyes. “The next full moon is tonight.” 

“Fuck…” you whispered, looking down at the floor. “So, what do we do?” 

Thinking for a moment, Ben could only think of one option, one thing that could be done, and he hated it. “I’ll shift with you… that way, I can keep you out of trouble.” 

“I thought synchronized shifting was supposed to be something only married couples are allowed to do,” you admitted. 

Ben shook his head, licking his lips. “It doesn’t matter - besides, we’re different werespecies, us being in the same room together is a taboo.” 

“Yeah, I guess…” you mumbled. “But, hey, it’s pretty cool.” 

Ben looked at you with a raised brow. “Pretty cool?” 

“I mean, a dog and a cat in the same room,” you started, “and not tearing each other’s lungs out - it’s pretty cool… I doubt my family’d approve.” 

“The more I learn about your family, the more I’m certain it should be them that are my targets, and not you,” Ben confessed. 

You tilted your head in confusion. “What do you mean?” 

“I’ll explain it later.” 

* * *

Shifting was painful, flesh tearing and making way for an animal’s form as you both roared in pain and cried out in anguish, it seemed to take hours where it was so aching, but the sound of claws on dead and rotten branches soon replaced the crying and the sobbing - for Ben, it was even more painful, as he had to rile himself up and get into the right mindset in order to make the switch, which was something he was never and could never get used to, not that he ever wanted to, either; meeting Ben by the river, you whined, and kept your distance. Spotted fur glistening in the moonlight and yellow eyes well adjusted to the dark as he took in the sight of your animal form; unlike other werewolves he had seen, you were far more wolfish - standing on four legs with light grey fur that held patches of brown, eyes bright orange but full of fear as you stared at him. 

Slowly, he moved forward, pressing his head against your neck and growling softly, reassuringly; your ears perked up when you heard something, the call of a roe deer, and you took off running along the forest floor, Ben following in your shadow from up above in the trees. Then he saw you stop, observing the herd of small deer, and he dared to relax slightly, crouching in the branches as he watched for a moment before daring to join you, silent in his movements as he came to stand beside you, he looked up at you; he had always known that wolves were large animals, but he had no idea or way of guessing that you would have been so much taller. You looked down at him, ears pinned to the back of your head and your tail tucked between your legs as you cried like a puppy. 

It was then that Ben realised that you were trying your best to keep control for him, and had he been in his human form, he would have smiled, but instead, he pressed his head against the side of your neck as a sign of assurance, telling you that you were doing just fine; your tail became untucked, then, swaying from side to side, slowly wagging as you looked down at him and sneezed. Ben was confused, tilting his head to the side when you pulled away and trotted up to the deer, they seemed to know you, as they didn’t move, they didn’t run or flinch like they should have, they just stayed there, letting you sniff their fawns and wag your tail at the bucks. Ben stood back and watched, taking mental notes of everything, and only daring to follow you when you bolted off in the direction of the city - car lights were bright and disorienting as Ben desperately tried to keep up with you, but while he was fast, the bright lights and loud noises kept making him need to twist and turn as he tried to run after you; he stayed on your tail, chasing you right through the city, weaving through alleys and allotments, coming to a sudden stop when you howled in pain. 

A silver trap. 

Right outside the greengrocer. 

“That’ll teach you,” came a dark chuckle as a shadow approached, a man with a body much like yours but stood on his hindlegs. “Little savage.”

Ben’s eyes went wide as he stayed in the shadows, trying to think what to do, he wanted to avoid conflict as much as possible, but when the other wolf bent down and grabbed the scruff of your neck, he couldn’t help but to snarl. 

“Oh, come now, is that any way to treat your family?” The other wolf laughed when you snapped and tried to bite, wriggling and making the silver dig further into your leg. “Word on the street is that you’ve been seen with a werecat… haven’t you, mutt?” 

You growled, hackles raised as you tried to lurch forward and clamp your jaws around the arm that held you; it was then that Ben realised that he needed to take action, and he jumped forward, biting the back of the other wolf’s neck and snarling, pulling at the flesh to make him back away from you and drop you; doing your best to get out of the trap, you somehow managed to squirm free and aid Ben, going for the stomach and taking the other wolf down, pinned by the shoulders as you snarled and snapped your jaws in his face while Ben stood beside you, hissing and baring his own teeth, his claws ready to dig into the other wolf. 

“That mutt won’t do you any good, mate,” the other wolf spat, looking at Ben. “All it does is cause trouble - look at it, it ain’t like us!” 

Ben could see the hurt in your eyes, and decided that enough was enough, keeping his eye on the threat as he pushed you back in the direction of home, letting you lean against him as you limped and whined. 

* * *

“Fuck me!” You howled in the morning, groaning and seething, gripping your leg. “What the fuck happened?” 

Ben entered the room, then, carrying a box of painkillers and a glass of water, he gently set them down on the bedside table and sat on the edge of your bed, clearing his throat. “Someone from your family attacked you, I’ve requested backup to look into it while I make sure that your safe and healing properly.” 

You shook your head, eyes going wide as you swallowed thickly. “No, no, no, Ben, no, you can’t.” 

Furrowing his brows, Ben could see the fear evident in your eyes as he listened to the begs and the pleading. “Why not, (y/n)?” 

You were reluctant to answer as you turned away and shook your head again, shoulders trembling. “You don’t get it… you wouldn’t.” 

“Tell me,” he coaxed gently, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder and frowning. “Please, tell me.” 

“They’ll kill you all,” you whispered with a soft sob. “They don’t care who you are, or what you do, they’ll kill you all… why do you think nobody’s had any trouble with them? Because everyone who dares to stand up goes missing, and they cover up the fact that they… they kill everyone who dares to say no.” 

Ben fell silent for a moment, weighing up his options and which would cause the least conflict; he kept his hand on your shoulder for a moment, only daring to let go when you took him by surprise and curled up on his lap, burying your face against his chest and clinging onto his shirt. He had no idea how to react, but soon realised that you were merely seeking comfort, and slowly, he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you that little bit closer and allowing you to sob and whimper into his shirt, not caring that he could feel your tears soaking through to his skin. Poor Ben had never worked a case where someone instantly went to him for comfort, even if he was the only person in the room, and he couldn’t help but to wonder if it was because you knew that he was a safe person to go to, a safe person to turn to and confide in. 

“It’s going to be alright,” he assured, rubbing your back gently with a soft hand. “We’re going to sort this out, I’m going to be here with you.” 

You looked up at him, then, eyes puffy and overflowing with tears as you sniffled, breath hitching. “P-promise?” 

Ben nodded, doing his best not to bring his hand round to wipe your tears away as he licked his lips. “I promise. I’ve been put under strict orders to not leave your side in case another… incident happens.” 

You slowly nodded, wrapping your arms around his waist and hugging him close as you whimpered. “Thank you…” 

“Hellboy’s going to be here, too,” he told you, “he’s not in the best of moods, but he’s tasked with making sure that your family are brought to justice.” 

You only nodded again, finding solace in the way that Ben held you tightly in his arms and kept you close, perhaps it was because you were both weres and understood one another more than anyone else could, but perhaps it was because you found his presence calming already, like the sight of a rose growing amongst brambles, the moon on a cloudless night; you weren’t sure how long you stayed like that, basking in his embrace and slowly calming down as he held you, but when you looked up, Amy was frantically running into the room and skidding down onto her knees beside the bed, looking at you with wide and worried eyes. 

“Fucking Hell, (y/n), are you okay?” She asked, taking no notice of Ben as she gripped your hand and squeezed tightly, tears in her eyes. “What happened? Please tell me you’re okay, please-” 

“Miss Dunks,” Ben cleared his throat and offered a formal but friendly smile and nod. “I understand that this is stressful for you, but please calm down.” 

“It’s okay,” you whispered, pushing yourself away from Ben and giving him a small smile, still holding onto him as you turned to your friend. “I’m fine… just a busted leg - Ben and the BPRD are on the case, there’s nothing to worry about.” 

Amy looked between you and Ben before she turned to him with a heartbroken expression. “You were supposed to be keeping (y/n) safe… what happened?” 

Ben should have guessed that that was going to happen, it had done a million times before when something went wrong, and he was bombarded with “why weren’t you doing your job?”, and in all honesty, it was one of the hardest things he had to do. Calmly, he explained what had happened, and how he and his colleagues were going to handle it. 

“Ames… don’t panic,” you told her. “Everything’s gonna be okay. I just… won’t be able to do some stuff is all. It’s seriously fine.” 

She frowned, pulling you in for a tight hug before kissing your forehead and ruffling your hair, a sad chuckle leaving her lips. “You stupid dog… what are we gonna do with you, huh?” 

Smiling back, you shrugged. “Well, you’re gonna give me a minute with Ben, and then you’re gonna go downstairs and tell Hellboy what you know - can you do that for me, Ames?” 

She ran a hand through her hair, nodding and sighing. “Yeah, I can do that… do you want me to take the dogs back to mine until you’re better?” 

You looked at Ben for a moment before nodding as you licked your lips. “That would be amazing, thank you.” 

“Anything for you,” she whispered. “Now be a good dog and do what Agent Daimio tells you.” 

“I intend to,” you chuckled, waiting for her to leave before you rolled over onto the bed with a wince. “This is a fucking mess and a half, innit?” 

Standing up and moving to sit on the windowsill, Ben let out a hum of agreement that sounded an awful lot like a bitten back laugh. “You can say that again… but I promise you, we’ll get this mess cleaned up as fast as we can.” 

You grumbled, letting out a huff. “I ain’t worried about that, just… fuck, I’m scared… you don’t get what it’s like to go against the pack - it’s a fucking death sentence.” 

“And I’m here to make sure it won’t be,” Ben defended almost immediately. 

“Yeah, well, this situation’s a bit ironic,” you bitterly laughed, covering your eyes with your arm. “A cat looking after and protecting a dog?” 

He smiled a little, looking out of the window at the expansive woods, how they seemed to go on for miles and miles, seemingly never ending, boundless like the sea and twice as deep; he sighed, remembering what had happened the last time he overstayed his welcome in such a place, and it made the scars on his face itch. “I suppose it is… but then again, I do have a much stronger bite force.” 

“Can tell you watch a lot of documentaries,” you joked. 

He shrugged, looking over at you and noticing how your eyes were covered, giving him a chance to smile. “And you don’t?” 

“Sometimes,” you whined and whimpered as you sat upright, letting out a soft cry at the pain that shot through your leg. “I prefer to read, though.” 

“Let me guess,” Ben mused, relaxing a little as you met his gaze. “You go and sit by the riverbank with a book, and don’t come back until it’s dark?” 

You furrowed your brows, looking him up and down with curiosity. “How’d you guess that?” 

He clicked his tongue. “Simple maths.” 

You smiled through the pain, licking your lips and shaking your head. “That would explain it - I’ve always been fucking useless at maths… but hey, if we’re spending all this time together, you could teach me.” 

Considering it for a moment, Ben bit the inside of his lip and shrugged. “I don’t see why not… but, you should rest up a little more, I’ll make myself at home in the spare room, if that’s alright?” 

You shook your head, pouting a little bit and letting out a soft whine. “I, uh… fuck, this is gonna sound weird as all Hell, but… do you think you could, maybe, stay with me?”

“Are you sure?” He asked, getting off of the windowsill and approaching the bed. “I wouldn’t want to intrude.” 

“I’m sure,” you replied, “you wouldn’t be intruding… quite the opposite, actually.” 

* * *

The first few nights were awkward, as were the days that followed, you and Ben trying to settle into a decent enough routine that worked for the both of you while also trying to handle the anxiety that came with wondering how Hellboy and his BPRD colleagues were getting on with the case, but by the end of the first week, you settled; the anxiety and worry was still there, of course, but you and Ben managed to make things work with each other, and you were glad that the routine came almost naturally. Sure, he was there to protect you, but that didn’t stop him from offering to help you cook, from offering to let you use his lap to rest your busted leg, from offering to do certain things around the house because you couldn’t; he wasn’t shy when it came to the wound either, he was tender when he took old bandaging off, he was soft and slow when he cleaned it out, and he was gentle when he put new bandages on. 

When you couldn’t sleep at night because of the fear that the person who had attacked you would come back, Ben even found himself lying in the same bed as you instead of on the sofa, his arms around you as he held you tightly and did his best to reassure you that everything was going to be just fine and that he wasn’t going to let anything happen to you; when Amy swung by with Karl, Ben was happy to join in on the conversation and play along with the banter, and there were multiple instances when Amy or Karl commented on how cute you and Ben looked together, not to mention the times one of them pulled you aside to make a quick comment about how comfortable you seemed around each other, which you always laughed off. 

By the end of the third week, things had become even more comfortable… up until the second you fell out in the garden, and crushed your arm, rendering it cut up and bruised; going by his natural instincts, Ben pulled you inside and sat you at the kitchen table before grabbing the first aid kit and helping you to get your shirt off so that he could see just how bad the damage was. 

“My hero,” you chuckled, growling in pain but wincing at the smell of your own blood, so pungent it almost made you sick. 

Keeping his eyes on your arm as he assessed the damage, Ben allowed a small smile to lay across his lips, but it soon faded when he noticed an old scar on your wrist, jagged and clumsy as if the hand that held the knife had been trembling as the blade was dragged from the top of the wrist down; he swallowed thickly when he looked at it, frowning a little. “Is that scar something I should worry about?”

You shook your head a little too quickly. “No… it was just a stupid mistake.” 

Looking up at you so he could look into your eyes, Ben frowned. “Wanna talk about it?”

“Not really, but I can tell you won’t let me be silent,” you bitterly joked. “When I was just a pup, my mother… she used to beat me, for any reason she possibly could, and with the exception of my dad and my gran, the rest of my family did, too… I made eight attempts on my life because of them, that one was the most recent.” 

“Where are your dad and gran, now?” He asked gently, biting at the inside of his lip. 

You shrugged. “Hopefully as far from here as they can get… I sent them away, it was safer for them that way… listen, Ben, as much as I appreciate this low-key therapy, that scar was a stupid fucking mistake, and it’s a constant reminder of why I don’t deserve anything but beatings and being cut up, alright?” 

“Alright,” he said quietly, grabbing the antiseptic wipes and pausing. “This is gonna sting.” 

“I hope it does,” you replied, flinching when he pressed the first wipe to your wounds, making you seethe and growl under your breath, fangs bared as you did your best not to bite and snap your jaws; but after the first one, the sting didn’t seem so bad, and you breathed out a sigh of relief when it was done. “So, how’s it looking, Doc?” 

Ben shot you a look, somewhere between a glare and concern as he grabbed the bandages. “Not too bad, not too deep. You should be fine.” 

You nodded, falling silent as you watched how tenderly he wrapped the bandages around your wounds, how soft and gentle he was, trying not to cause you any irritation or further hurt, and when he met your gaze, you quickly looked away; you only dared to look back again when he looked at your arm, you could feel your heart start to beat a little faster and a little louder in your chest, rattling the bars of its prison and causing you to swallow thickly. Once more, Ben looked up at you, offering a small smile and his free hand, his gaze softening and growing warm when you accepted it, lacing your fingers with his and smiling back. However, after a short moment, he let go and cleared his throat, shaking his head and going back to tending to the bandage and securing it, making you frown as you searched for something to say. 

“There we go,” Ben said, standing up quickly and packing up the first aid kit. “You’ll be fine.” 

“Ben…” you whispered, not loud enough for him to hear as he walked away, scratching the scruff of his neck; you looked down at your lap and sighed, only daring to look up again when a packet of Sterling cigarettes and an ashtray were placed on the table in front of you. “What’s all this?” 

Ben shrugged, sitting across from you and swiping his bottom lip with his thumb. “I went to the shops earlier while you were asleep… picked some things up.” 

“Thanks…” you muttered, lighting up a cigarette and taking a drag. “And, uh, thanks for, y’know, patching me up and everything.” 

He shook his head, not daring to look at you as he shifted in his seat. “It’s my job to protect you, this is just part of it.” 

* * *

It was the start of the sixth week when the news came: they had caught the member of your family who had attacked you, and had managed to deal with the rest of the pack, too, bringing them to justice. 

And when Ben told you the news, you cried; you were overwhelmed, as on the one hand, you couldn’t shake the relief and the closure that the news had brought you, knowing that you would never have to see any member of that abusive pack ever again, knowing that that chapter of your life was over and done with… but on the other hand, there was a certain melancholy that settled into your chest when you realised that, with the case being closed, Ben would have to leave. And after six weeks together, you didn’t want him to go, even though your leg was more or less healed and he had no reason to stay, you had to admit that you had grown rather fond of him and that you enjoyed his presence a lot more than you probably should have - when he smiled at you, you could have sworn that the world went from black and white, to in colour, that birds sang and the clouds went away the very instant he smiled. When he laughed at one of your jokes, your chest felt like it was filled to the brim with butterflies, your heart soared and burst into a tune it had long forgotten it had known. 

“I thought you would be happy,” he commented as he held you close to his chest. “What is it?”

“I am, I’m fucking glad they’re finally sorted out,” you whispered, sniffling as you pulled away. “But… this means you have to go back, right?” 

So solemnly, Ben nodded and looked away. “It does… but, I suppose I could find a reason to stay.” 

You perked up a little, smiling. “You’d do that?” 

“Sure,” he agreed, “in fact, I’m pretty sure my next case is in the next city over… it’s nothing too major, just a vampire on the loose.” 

“You’re amazing,” you chuckled, hugging him tightly and burying your head against his chest, unable to hide the relief that he could stay with you; the utter ecstasy that came with knowing that you wouldn’t have to part ways… just yet. 

As he held you there, Ben couldn’t deny that he did revel in the way you fit so well into his arms, he couldn’t deny that your smile made his heart race and jump; he had never felt like it for anybody else before, but then again, thanks to the BPRD, he never had enough time to get to know someone so intimately as he did you. Sure, he had been on dates here and there, and had even spent weeks and months dating people, but none of them ever felt as right as you did - they never felt so… mutual, so intimate. He knew, though, that getting romantically involved with you would mean a lot of teasing from his colleagues - Hellboy, especially… even worse, it could mean putting you at risk. But as he held you there, Ben knew that he was going to protect you all he could, and that if you wanted to be his, he would happily be yours in return. 

Clearing his throat, Ben pulled back, and smiled down at you oh so tenderly. “I was gonna go for a walk, if you wanted to join me?” 

You nodded, baring a smile full of fangs as you did so. “Fucking gladly.” 

* * *

Ben knew where to take you, he knew where your favourite spot to watch the sunset was, and as he lead you there, he did his best to try and hide the nervousness and the anxiety that settled in his chest as he walked beside you, only daring to pause when you reached the clearing in the woods; it was right on top of the tallest hill, where the sky seemed endless and the woods even more so, it was possible to see for miles ahead, and as Ben sat on the cold ground, he looked out at the sky - the light orange and yellow glittered as they grew darker, and the greying blue seemed to dim slowly along with it. Sitting down beside him, you dared to grab his hand, and lean your head on his shoulder, making him tense up slightly before relaxing against you. 

“Breathtaking, innit?” You whispered, looking up at him. 

Ben couldn’t bring himself to look down at you, knowing you were looking right at him as he smiled. “Yeah, it is…” 

“You know, if someone had told me that pretty much two months ago, I’d’ve met a werejaguar and fallen for ‘em, I never would’ve believed it,” you admitted, “especially under these circumstances, but… you know what? I’m glad we met, Ben.” 

Finally looking down at you, Ben furrowed his brows with a certain kind of tender curiosity. “What do you mean?” 

You rolled your eyes, pulling away and straddling his lap so that you could look into his eyes as you spoke, “I mean, I have feelings for you.” 

Putting his hands on your hips, Ben licked his lips and wanted to push his heart down to stop it from beating so loudly and so fast. “You do?” 

“Yeah,” you whispered, just loud enough for him to hear your voice. “As weird as it might be, considering the whole cat-dog thing, I have feelings for you, and I get it if you don’t wanna be with me, but-” 

“If you want to be mine, I’m happy to be yours in return,” Ben told you with nothing but sincerity in his voice. 

You smiled a little, biting at your bottom lip. “You mean that?” 

“I mean it,” he replied, “do you?” 

“Ben Daimio, I’ll gladly be yours.” 


End file.
